What Is a .cpp File? .cpp Format, MIME & How to Open

Quick facts

Extension.cpp

File typeC++ Source File

MIME typetext/x-c

CategoryData & Text

Charset—

Compressible—

Format familycpp

What is .cpp

What is a .cpp file?

A .cpp file is a C++ Source File — C++ programming language source file.

In the mime-db registry it maps to text/x-c. When serving .cpp over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.

Related entities: it maps to text/x-c and is used by C++ among others — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.

How to open .cpp files

Use VS Code or Visual Studio to open and edit .cpp files.
Any text editor (Notepad, VS Code) can inspect the raw content as text.

Developer info

When served over HTTP, responses should set the following header:

Content-Type: text/x-c

Common software that reads/writes .cpp:

VS CodeVisual StudioGCC

Relation chain

.cppextension of

format

cppserved as

mime type

text/x-csent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

Related programming languages

C++

.cpp .c++ .cc

Common uses

Configuration files
Data interchange between systems
API request and response payloads
Logs and data exports

How to edit .cpp files

Open the file with VS Code, make your changes and save.
Most editors preserve the original formatting and encoding — avoid changing the charset.

How to create .cpp files

Create a new file and save it with the .cpp extension, or export this format from VS Code.

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .cpp files?

Common options include VS Code, Visual Studio, GCC. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.

How do I create a .cpp file?

Create a new file in any text editor or the app that owns the format and save it with the .cpp extension.

What is the relationship between .cpp and the text/x-c MIME type?

text/x-c is the media type identifier used for .cpp files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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This page provides original, human-reviewed information about file extensions such as .cpp, the File Extension Reference and related concepts. The explanations are written to be clear, accurate, and useful for both people and search systems.

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